Adivasis Protest over Aadhaar-Based Payment

Visakhapatnam: Adivasis of Arjapuram and Kotnabelli panchayats in Ravikamatham mandal of Anakapalli district staged a dharna against the Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS) stipulated by the central government.

They are complaining that the facial recognition app is not working in their villages. “Making this a pretext, officials have stopped making payments to us under the MGNREGA work carried out by us,” they stated.

There are five tribal villages under the two panchayats of Arjapuram and Kotnabelli. Adivasis of these villages who are working under MGNREGA have demanded that two village resource persons be appointed to take their attendance instead, so that payments could be made to them.

Officials are, however, insisting that as per rules, payments will be deposited in their bank accounts only if their Aadhaar card, bank card and job card are all in the same name.

Tribals say they are facing difficulties because of this. But facial recognition payments are not working as their villages are away from cell phone towers.